Defenders' stories

'Since the Taliban came to power, Afghanistan [has become] the only country where we see that women don’t have any kind of rights.'

'From the time we grow up, our grandparents teach us to love nature and the environment, to respect rivers, lakes and mountains, because, as children, they explain to us that all of it is sacred.'

'They can take our homes, our titles or our surnames, but the hope and joy that sustain us, and with which we continue to work, still remain.'

Sila, a German college student, and Esma, an Uyghur from Frankfurt, co-founded the Uyghur Youth Initiative to advocate for Uyghur rights. Through protests, social media, and educational campaigns, they aim to raise awareness of the Uyghurs' plight and empower both Uyghur and allied youth in Germany.

'My passion is the defence of the right to land and territory,' says Lourdes Gómez, a land rights defender and professor working on issues affecting Indigenous women defenders and the impacts of palm oil production.

Tala Odeh, a young human rights defender, serves as a regional coordinator for the NAMA Network, immersing herself in the MENA region's socio-political complexities. Her efforts to advocate for individual rights and address systemic issues highlight the critical need for resilience and adaptability.

Moses Von Kallon is a human rights defender and the co-founder of Aquarius Supervivientes, a group that advocates for the rights of immigrants in Spain and supports their integration.

Cyrine Hammemi is a human rights defender from Tunisia. Her work focuses on the human rights of persons belonging to minority groups, through alerts on discriminatory situations and the violence they suffered. In an interview with ISHR, Cyrine shares her personal journey into activism and her vision for a more inclusive and equitable future.

Kadar Abdi Ibrahim is a human rights defender and journalist from Djibouti. He has drawn inspiration from historic figures in the human rights movement in the hopes of building a solid and lasting democracy in his country.

Cynthia Palacios Reckziegel works in international advocacy for the Center of Legal and Social Studies (CELS) in Buenos Aires. She shared her hopes for a future in which women in Argentina can access reproductive health services without being discriminated.

Andreza Jorge is a human rights defender and activist working to empower communities in favelas in Brazil. She was also a participant to the 2023 edition of ISHR’s flagship training course, the Human Rights Defender Advocacy Programme (HRDAP).

David Yambio is a community advocate and spokesperson at the NGO Refugees in Libya. His own experiences of forced exile inspired him to fight for the human rights and well-being of migrants and refugees on both sides of the Mediterranean.